The One Step
by KalKir
Summary: All it takes is just one step for it all to be over, but will she take the one last step to end everything? Also, what is one to do when an unexpected source comes out to lend a helping hand? Possible one-shot, possible continuation. HP/PP


**DISCLAIMER:** The story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, and various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros., Scholastic Books, etc. This story is intended as a fan made story and no money is being made. No trademark and copyright infringement is intended.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** WARNING! This section may contain some spoilers.

I guess you can say this story can be anything. It could actually be a standalone one shot story. It could also be a story that continues on. While this part of the story is in all sense and purpose can stand as a one shot, I did originally have in mind to continue the story.

Three paths I have thought of.

Time Travel – Will admit, I do like time travel stories and while there are many interpretations on that, was thinking would be a fun one to do.

Continue on with the story with the ending being different.

Follow Dumbledore's word about the next adventure.

I will admit that I was looking at option three on this. If that is the situation, the "next adventure" will be a whole new world and may have some other aspects (like D&D, Cortex, and etc. references). As with that, this one will be very infrequent in updates as I would like to try and focus as much time on my other works, but thought of at least getting this one up. Once I do consider putting up as an actual story, I might repost this chapter with the new ones, but will see.

Also, please note that I have not edited this in detail so there may be errors in the story and I apologize for that.

Reviews always appreciated. PMs are also alright as well.

Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

**Prologue – The One Step**

* * *

One step. One step more and everything would be over. All the pain, the suffering, everything that harmed her would be no more.

One step. One step more and she would never again need to meet her enemies. Never to see those who betrayed her.

One step. One step more and she can finally be at rest and finally find the peace that she yearned for.

But she hesitated for this was the one step. With this one step, the life she knew would forever be over.

A dishevelled young black haired young lady stood only a foot away from the shimmering ripples, just one more step and it would all be over. She knew that there was something, perhaps someone on the other side as faint whispering and murmuring noises seeming to come from the other side.

There was nothing left for her here. After the war ended, no one trusted her, her family was all gone and their name and reputation forever destroyed. Even the one person she trusted and relied on ended up betraying her and marrying someone else. It did not help that even the Ministry confiscated all of her family's belongings as reparations from the war.

Her family, her life, and anything that she held dear was shortly all but forgotten and discarded.

Death would have been very simple solution, but she did not wish to have any part of her remain in such a desolate world. She did not want to be part of a world that left her, shunned her, betrayed her, and effectively left her for dead. In fact, it was better that she did not exist at all.

It was with that decision that she decided to infiltrate the Ministry late at night to find herself standing in front of an archway.

All it took was just one more step and she would be forever at peace. With one more breath she closed her eyes preparing herself for that final step.

"You really shouldn't," a voice called out from behind her startling her to turn around quickly.

She peered into the darkness seeing a dark silhouette of a person who seemed to have snuck into the room without her knowing.

The figure stepped closer eventually helping her to identify the person who interrupted her final moment.

"Potter," she spat out with venom in her voice.

The man with wild dark hair slowly walked up, hands in his pockets as walked up to stand next to her, ignoring her while staring at the Veil that stood in front of them.

For what seemed like eternity, the two did not speak. She glared at him as he continued to look at the Veil. It seemed like he has not kept himself clean seeing his hair seemed to have grown out in an unkempt manner, and stubbles of hair along his face showed signed of not shaving in a while.

"Parkinson," Harry acknowledged her response back after a long moment. His eyes still not leaving the Veil that stood before him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice clearly holding an edge.

Harry stood there for a few more moments of silence before replying back, "Perhaps, the same reason that you are here."

It was not the answer she expected. After all, Harry was known to be the Saviour of Magical Britain and of the wizarding world. He was leading a very successful career as the Head of the new Department of Magical Law Enforcement even a few years back there was rumours of him marrying the Weasley girl. In her eyes, he was living a successful life.

So why that answer?

Harry finally did look towards Pansy and she saw it. The once vibrant green eyes that she recalled seeing sparks of determination, fire, and passion now showed emptiness devoid of any life. What remained was but a husk of a young man who seemed to be barely hanging on himself. What she saw was a reflection of what she always saw in the mirror for the past few years.

For a while the two stared at one another, the rivalry, hatred, and history the two shared monetarily forgotten.

It was the sound of grumbling that brought them back to their senses. Bringing a grin from Harry and a very embarrassed Pansy.

"Really?"

"Shove it, Potter."

"Well I guess we can't go on an empty stomach," he muttered causing her to look at him on slight confusion.

"What?"

Harry shook his head and before she could react, reached out and took her hand and pulled her back as he turned to walk towards the exit.

"Come on," Harry stated as he dragged her behind him, "If someone is to die, they might as well do so on a full stomach."

Pansy looked at him in disbelief. She was not sure if he had a few screws loose on his head or if he was actually being serious. Sure they were on opposite sides of the war and he was still merciful to some back then. However as time went by, she heard rumours of him becoming more vicious in bringing down remnants of the Dark Lord's forces. Sure he knew she never actively fought in the war against him and his friends and allies, but she nevertheless was on the other side.

Her conflicted emotions must have shown as Harry did stop right in front of the entrance and looked back at her looking apologetic. While this surprised her, what he said next surprised her even more.

"Sorry about that," Harry said, "that crude humour was uncalled for."

Pansy's expression softened a bit at that, "I guess it's been a long journey for the both of us?"

He snorted at that and gave her a side long glance and tried to gently pull her along, but still meeting some resistance.

"Look," he started, "I am not going to detain you. I am not going to hurt you. I just want to take you someplace to eat and then we can just go from there. In fact, if you want, I will bring you back here if you are so minded still."

Pansy hesitated and contemplated his works, but slowly nodded and allowed him to drag her along.

They took the lift back up and exited the Ministry. As soon as they left the Ministry, Harry apparated the two of them into another alleyway and the two walked another block before coming up to an old diner.

At first Pansy scratched her nose seeing an obviously muggle diner giving Harry a disgusted look.

Harry looked at her back looking a bit annoyed, but there seemed to be a hint of some slight amusement.

"If you are going to die, might as well try out a muggle style food."

"I'd rather die."

"Well you will soon per your own desire, so why not indulge me?"

Pansy glared at Harry a free moments longer before deflating a bit.

"Fine"

With a grin, Harry let go of her hand to open the door and let her him. While she did not notice during the entire time, she realized she missed his contact. It made her realize after years of being alone, just how much she longed for companionship, someone to talk to, someone to be on contact with.

The two walked into what looked to be a rather old but well-kept diner. There did not seem to be anyone else there, but the sound of utensils moving in the kitchen indicated that there was someone in the establishment.

Harry led Pansy into a corner booth providing a bit more privacy in case another customer came in.

As they settled, they heard someone walk over to them and a gruff voice call out, "Well look who decided to waltz back in here. Had I known, I'd have not bothered to come out!"

The two looked up to a rather portly elderly man wearing a rather worn chef outfit who placed two cups of water on their table.

"Harry! What brings you back to my fine establishment?"

Harry got up and gave the older man a hug which the man returned as well.

"To enjoy our last supper by having you poison us with your cooking, Roger," Harry retorted back.

Roger gave a jolly laugh as he let Harry take his seat and turned toward Pansy.

"Well I haven't seen you here before, missy. How did you come across this sorry fellow?"

"Oi!" Harry called out earning another chuckle from Roger.

"Ah, well, forgot to introduce myself," the older man gave a slight bow in her direction, "Roger Smith at your service."

Pansy was clearly at a loss at what to say. This really was not what she expected. She was of course used to more formal settings and with folks who acted in a more civilized manner, at least to in her sense. Only those she carried great disdain for or animosity held such personalities. Yet, there was no brashness to the older man's voice and instead was one of a man who held no social elite decorum in favour of being an approachable being.

"Pansy," she replied, "A pleasure to meet you, sir"

"Please call me Roger," Roger replied back, "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine."

She nodded at that.

"So, what will it be for you two?"

Harry looked over to Pansy, "Is there anything in particular you want or anything you do not particularly like?"

She shook her head, "I honestly have the faintest idea of what to get."

Harry looked at Roger.

"So the usual then?" Roger asked.

"Make that two," Harry replied.

"Cheap skate. Right. Coming right up."

With that Roger headed to the back to prepare their meal.

The two sat together in silence neither really chatting a bit more until their meal arrived. It actually surprised Pansy when she saw the meal that came out. It was waffles.

Pansy stared in disbelief at this. The last time she ate waffles was back at Hogwarts. While she remembered it was quite delicious, it was most certainly not the type of dish one would have chosen to have eaten as their last meal especially not a Pureblo-.

She stopped her trail of thought there. After all, it seemed like there was no meaning to hear to call herself that anymore. The Parkinson line would die with her, and with what developed after the war, there really was no prestige in holding on to that name nor the status that came with it.

When she looked up at Harry, she saw him look at her expectantly. However, his expression quickly changed when he noted that there was something that upset her.

"Er, should I get you something else?" he asked, "If it is not to your liking, then you could order something else."

Harry did look genuinely apologetic to Pansy as she shook her head.

"No," she replied, "just thought of an unpleasant thought, but… never mind."

"I can only speculate," he responded, "After all it has been at least four years since anyone heard from you? You kept quite a few of us Aurors busy trying to find you."

Pansy spread her wands wide, "Well here I am."

"Indeed," Harry agreed, "Which brings me the question, why you truly came back. You could have disappeared and started over somewhere else. A fresh start in a way at some place where no one would be able to know who you were. Of course, standing in front of the Veil may have answered that for me."

Pansy did not speak only looking down at the table a bit in front of her.

Harry looked as if he wanted to press on, but instead chose to not pressure her to explain, which Pany was thankful for.

Pansy took the utensils that Roger also provided and cut into the waffle and took a bit. She froze as she put the first piece in her mouth. She knew that the food at Hogwarts was great and she has had waffles before. She was not sure if it was due to her not having a waffle in a long while or this being her last meal. One thing she was certain was that this was the best waffles she ever tasted.

The waffles were nice and hot, clearly just out and freshly made. The first bite quickly identified to her that the outside was crisp yet still soft on the inside. Despite being just simple plain waffles, it was in all sense one of the best waffles, if not the best waffles, she has had in her entire life.

She closed her eyes to savour the flavour as she took another piece. It was in all sense pure bliss. Though it was a short lived bliss as she also heard a slight crunching sound from across her causing her to open her eyes.

Across from her was Harry who also seemed to relish the taste of the waffles with much more gusto. The momentary pause from his meal partner seemed to have alerted his awareness of his manners and Harry abruptly changed his manners.

"Sorry," he muttered.

With more care compared to before, he continued to eat in a much slower manner.

Pansy looked in slight amusement as she watched the man in front of her eat.

"It is quite alright," she replied with a slight grin, "I would have expected a man of your standing would have acted more differently."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, someone as renowned as you hardly dressed neatly, looks that seem to show that you have not taken care of yourself in a long time. Also, eating as if you not have had a decent meal in a while. But then again, I guess it should not be surprising when your loving wife been busy chasing her own career."

Right then, Harry froze, the piece of the waffle that was halfway up stood still for a moment before he replied.

"We aren't together."

With that he took a bit of the waffle, but it was apparently to Pansy that the expression of enjoyment that Harry had was gone and in its place was a rather poor attempt of him trying to be indifferent about the situation.

"We haven't been for a while now," he added.

Harry looked up to glare at her only to see genuine confusion.

"You really don't know, do you?"

Pansy shook her head, "I have been living under a rock for quite some time."

"Right," Harry stated grimacing a bit at that as if he was a bit apologetic in bringing that up.

"Well," he stated, "Let's just say that because of her, the bridge with the rest of her family burned up."

This time, it was Pansy's turn to want to ask, but seeing his poorly concealed anger at this topic, she kept to herself.

The two continued to eat in silence the mood being the only thing that spoiled what would have been a rather interesting yet delicious meal.

Roger eventually came by to clean up the empty plates and provided some ice cream for each of them on the house.

For a bit Harry and Roger bickered a bit about that as Harry argued in paying for the dessert while Roger would have none of it.

Roger did win in the end.

Pansy and Harry did make some small talk brightening the mood a bit.

After the last of the dessert was consumed, the two settled back down a bit.

"Well," Pansy started, while hesitant, "Shall we?"

All she got was a grim face and a single nod as Harry and Pansy both stood up.

Harry walked up to pay for their meal as Pansy followed suit. Roger provided the total for Harry who then proceeded to pull out a large wad of cash. Roger, who looked at Harry very confused about all the money Harry pulled out and handing to him.

Harry smiled at him, "Keep the change, Roger. You have been taking care of me all this time"

"What are you up to," Roger asked a bit suspicious, "'Keep the change' normally does not mean tipping someone, even a friend this much for some waffles. Especially from one that loves to gripe about my prices and food."

Harry just shrugged, "I might not be here anymore, just really depends on if I can come back."

"You going on one of those business trips?"

Harry nodded once slowly in agreement, "Yeah, I guess you can say that. More of a transfer I guess you can say."

Roger stared at Harry for a while leading to several moments of uncomfortable silence. Eventually he nods slowly and grudgingly accepts the money pulling Harry into a hug as he does so.

"Well, good luck to you," Roger said.

Harry hugged back before parting.

"Will do, just make sure that you don't burn the place down before I come back, would you?"

"Oi!" Roger gently punched the younger man's shoulder.

The two laughed and eventually parted ways with Harry leading a rather confused Pansy out of the place.

Once the two stepped out of the diner, they both let out a sigh.

"Still up for doing this," Harry asked quietly, breaking the silence.

It was like a bucket of cold water hit Pansy when he brought that up. She was a bit conflicted. She lost everything, everyone she trusted betrayed her. And here was the one man, the one man who she had a rivalry with, the one man who was her enemy most of her life, the one man who by all means had every right not do what he did last night and just take her and lock her up in Azkaban. That one man was the only person who reached out to her. Sure it was in a rather unusual and to some possibly morbid way, but still listened and even took the time to hang out with her.

But, it was not enough for her to desire to stay and be reminded of all the other issues that she faced.

"Yes," she simply stated.

Harry looked at her momentarily before reaching out to take her hand as they walked to the nearest alley to Apparate back to the Ministry.

The two took walked in silence through the empty hallway. Just like years before there was no guards stationed at the front. Harry insisted that there be someone to at least provide security, but was overruled by Minister Kingsley. With most of the Death Eater remnants mopped up, he dismissed much of the Auror night shift guards and allocated them to day shifts instead much to Harry's frustration.

_And of course you have folks like Pansy and I just waltzing in and out without anyone knowing. I am just surprised that the Ministry is still standing._

Harry paused right then, bringing a small yelp from Pansy as she ran into him.

"What was that for, Potter?" Pansy asked irritated that he just stopped abruptly. When she did not get a response and did not see Harry move her irritation dropped a bit.

"Harry?"

As soon as she called out his name again, he turned to look at her and just stared. It was a thoughtful look that he had before he started walking in another direction.

"I will be right back," he stated, leaving her dumbfounded for a moment before running to catch up to him.

She followed him down the lift, through a series of halls, she realized that Harry literally ran into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement ahead of her. She froze for a moment thinking that Harry might have just led her here to detain her, but loud shuffling of paper sounds of cabinets moving and some muttered swears from Harrys distinctive voice slowly drew her in.

The sounds led her to an office where she heard someone writing with paper fluttering.

She saw Harry finishing up writing something before sealing it and waving his wand to sort out the mess of documents, files, and books that littered about into neat stacks. With another wave, things that looked to be more personal, such as an old thin cloak, some books, and a few other odds bits were thrown into a chest which he then shrunk and pocketed it.

He left the sealed letter on the now cleared out desk and looked at her.

"Sorry about that," he stated as he acknowledged her, "I have decided."

"Decided?" she asked.

Harry nodded, "Leaving. With you."

Pansy looked stunned at that.

"What do you mean?"

"It means, that I, Harry Potter, am also going to go through the Veil with you Ms. Pansy Parkinson."

"Excuse me?"

Harry shook his head and motioned her out before leaving to lock his office and escorting her out and back to the lift.

"It means, Ms. Parkinson that you will be having a plus one for the one way ride you are planning to have. Unless of course you reconsider going through."

Pansy stopped in her tracks and looked at him in pure disbelief.

Harry stopped in his tracks as well when he notice that Pansy was not following him.

Seeing her looking at him in such a manner, Harry sighed.

"Look, he began, "I will tell you my reasons, but let's continue walking though."

He turned and walked at a much slower pace with Pansy nodding a bit numbly and matching pace with him.

"You probably think that the whole Boy-Who-Lived, Chosen One, and whatever nonsense am fame I got would lead to a pampered life, but it did not. It merely caused more headaches and trouble for me. People expected me to be an Auror. There was no choice in that. They wanted their Saviour to help them while they did not do anything on their end. It did not help that the current Ministry has been slowly reverting back to be a mini version of the old Ministry and bringing up too much politics into things now."

"Could you not have just been something else then?" Pansy asked.

Harry gave her a side long glance, "Trust me, I tried. But living a quiet life was out of the question. The new Ministry demanded to move about and be active to help raise morale support and bring peace and order back. Only two options they gave me and they would not accept any other options."

"Well I can guess what one of the options was," she stated, "What was the other?"

"Join the Wizengamot."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

While either position would be considered prestigious to the average witch or wizard, she did have a vague understanding of Harry's dislike to it. She did come to understand that Harry was very much not care much for politics and was not necessarily the only with cunning, wit, or guile to deal in politics. While he did plan, while he did try to use his wit, he is a man of instinct and action. With also dealing with corrupt officials, such combination of experiences would make a person such as Harry shy away from such positions.

"So, not much choice in carrier, and of course my love life was completely shot when I found out that Ginny was cheating on me."

"What?" Pansy shouted.

Pansy knew that Ginny was one of Harry's biggest fans back at Hogwarts and had been known to stalk Harry as well. It was borderline creepy.

"Yeah," he answered, "Was a bit after the wedding. I had a big case that I was dealing and wasn't going to be home for at least a few weeks. Was able to finally be back and when I got back home…"

Harry stopped a bit the topic still seemed like a sore subject to him.

"Sorry, you don't need to finish if you prefer not to," she said.

"Prefer not to say that I found her sleeping with one of my former roommates from school at my own house? Yeah, it sucked, but right then and there I told her we were divorcing and apparated to her parents place and told them that I would be needing them to witness signing some divorce papers. Of course, that did not go well with them. They thought I was the one cheating and trying to put the blame on Ginny. Of course this led to several more internal legal battles with even Granger, Weasley, and Shacklebolt intervening and siding with them."

The fact that Harry spoke with a bit of venom in his voice while mentioning Granger and Weasley began to bring some pieces of the puzzle together.

"Anyways to make things short, Goblins already ransacked whatever I had in the vault with them for compensation for the damage caused when I broke into there a few years back and the damn Weasels pretty much took the rest, including Grimmauld Place, my godfather's home."

Harry chuckled a bit at that as they walked through the hallways and through the door that took them to the Veil, "And of course I was being naïve about the whole situation of course. Did not expect that they would have reached out to Andi who pretty much disowned me from being Teddy's godfather."

"So yes," Harry concluded turning towards her to look at her once more directly, "Considering that the main thing I learned is that the Magical world pretty much loves to backstab you in the back, I am fed up with living. I am fed up with the lies, the betrayal, with everything. I just want to rest and be at peace."

_We really are not that different._ Pansy thought. When she saw him earlier that night, she had an inkling that she might have found someone who understood her situation a bit, but she was wrong. She instead found someone who understood her very well and she, in turn, understood him.

While she literally had nothing and lacked the will to live, Harry in his own way had nothing as well. Sure he may have been leading a successful career, but what good is that when there is no one to share it with? What good is life when everything you did was restricted to just a set path? When your own choices are taken away and you have no one to support you, would that be considered living?

The only thing Pansy could do was just nod. He had his reasons and she had hers. There was only one thing left.

"Are you sure then?" she asked as the two began to approach the Veil.

"Absolutely," he responded.

With that the two walked right up to the Veil and looked at it, silence filling the room as the two continued to gaze at it.

"Do you think it will hurt?" she asked softly as she looked at the shimmering Veil surrounded by the archway.

"No," he replied, "Not at all. It is quicker than falling asleep."

"How do you know?"

She then blushed with embarrassment for asking such a question.

The man next to her chuckled at that, his green eyes clearly shining with amusement at that.

"Other than experiencing it myself, another person told me the same thing when I was in a similar position."

She perked up at that. She knew that Harry supposedly died while at the Battle of Hogwarts, but that statement confirmed it. What caught her curiosity though was the person who Harry referred to.

"Who?"

"My Godfather," Harry answered, "Sirius Black."

"But he-"

"Yes."

There was still a moment of silence before Harry spoke again.

"I was able to have a chance to speak with him again after his death."

"How?" she asked her curiosity growing even more.

He chuckled again and looked at her right in the eyes.

"It has something to do with the Beedle and the Bard particularly the Tale of the Three Brothers."

"I don't understand," she replied now getting confused, "That does not make any sense! What does a children's book have anything to do with this? The story only talks about Death and non-existent magical items! There is no way that-"

She stopped, looking at Harry who clearly showed amusement at her. It all began to click. Malfoy often told her years back that Harry would sometimes suddenly disappear, the rumours that he also had a strange wand that was once Albus Dumbledore's that the Dark Lord coveted, and now speaking with someone who was dead and in that story there was only one item that allowed one to speak with a dead person.

"Impossible," she whispered.

"Yet, it did happen," he simply replied grinning even wider.

"Wow."

The two broke off eye contact and straight ahead at the glimmering Veil, standing before it in silence.

"You really mean it?" she asked again not taking her eyes off the Veil, "You truly met your godfather?"

"I swear it," he replied.

"Wow," Pansy repeated again and continued to look at the Veil thinking over what Harry said.

"I'm still scared," she spoke again this time even more quietly.

"Well, Dumbledore said, death is but the next great adventure," reached out and gentle held her hand startling her a bit as he turned to look at her," and you are not going alone."

Her eyes widen a bit and softens. Her fingers gently closes around his hand and she gives a slight nod.

She closed her eyes and took some long deep breaths to calm down a bit, after calming herself down with the reassurance she was receiving.

"Alright," she said as she opened her eyes once more, staring back at the green eyes that seemed to have regained some light compared to before, "Together?"

"Together," came the replied.

The two looked back at the Veil once more.

"Harry?"

"Mhm?"

"Thank you," Pansy said leaning into Harry a bit more.

"Likewise," he responded.

The two walked up right to the edge and gave each other one last look.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

She nodded back, "Ready."

"See you on the other side then."

The two smiled at each other and with one last deep breath looked forwarded and took the one step through the Veil.


End file.
